Councilor Lydia Edwards wants to change the city’s Zoning Board of Appeal (ZBA) by making it more transparent. At a recent city council meeting, Edwards presented a new proposal that would make several changes to the ZBA. “We need to do better,” she said. “We need to think better, and we need to bring new Read More…
City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George wants to create a new forensics lab for the Boston Police Department. “There is a grave and depressing need for a new and improved crime lab in the city,” she said during a recent city council meeting. The police department currently has a forensics lab at the BPD Headquarters in Read More…
Boston voters went to the polls for the preliminary municipal election on Tuesday, September 24. Popular at-large city councilor Michelle Wu topped the ballot with the most votes and will appear on the November 5 ballot. The race for the four at-large city councilor positions will see eight candidates on the November ballot. Along with Read More…
Following the Straight Pride Parade that took place at the end of August, some city councilors want to ban masks during protests. On August 31, protests occurred in Downtown Boston during the controversial Straight Pride Parade. According to the Boston Police Department, officers were assaulted by masked protesters and nine people are facing related charges. Read More…
The Boston City Council recently passed a resolution supporting the Battery Wharf Hotel workers’ strike. UNITE HERE Local 26 workers filled the council chambers calling on Boston officials and residents to avoid the Battery Wharf Hotel until this labor dispute is resolved with a contract that they believe respects working people, women, immigrants and African-Americans. Read More…
The Boston City Council is worried about creating supervised safe injections sites for drug users. The council met during a working session about opioid abuse. Currently, there are bills before the Legislature that would allow safe injection sites in the Commonwealth. Some councilors worried about crime impacting the community because of these sites. “They’re going Read More…
Councilor Matt O’Malley, representing District 6 (West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, parts of Roslindale and Roxbury, and the Back of the Hill) wants more garage bay locations for ambulances in the city. In 2017, 26 percent of calls Boston EMS responded to were priority 1 calls, which are life threatening and time sensitive. On average, Boston Read More…
The Boston City Council is worried about the future of trees in the city and wants to make sure there are protections in place. While Boston might be in an economic boom, many trees throughout the city are being cut down due to development. When Councilor Tim McCarthy had several 100-year-old oaks cut down near Read More…
Councilor Ed Flynn wants to help Boston close the gap when it comes to public health disparities in the city’s communities of color. At a recent city council meeting, Flynn requested a hearing regarding the issue. “Public health is very important to our residents,” he said. “People of color have troubling health conditions at a Read More…
The Boston City Council learned more about the North-South rail link, a proposed project to connect North Station and South Station, at a recent hearing. The proposed 2.8 mile tunnel would link the subway system to the commuter rail system so passengers wouldn’t have to switch MBTA lines to connect like they do currently. The Read More…
The Boston City Council wants to look into Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft and their impact on the city. Councilor Ed Flynn recently requested a public hearing on TNCs in Boston and how to better regulate them. “I think we need to have a robust conversation on traffic, air quality, safety,” said Read More…
The Boston City Council is pondering turning Election Day into a holiday in the city. Councilor Matt O’Malley requested a hearing about the possible change saying having the day be a holiday will help increase voter turnout. “Voting during a work day limits the participation of those who can’t afford to take a day off Read More…